Point data collected from video drops identifying benthic habitats such as seagrass, macroalgae and reef, collected during field work in 2007 to 2011. Used to support the Benthic Habitat Mapping project undertaken by DENR to map the nearshore benthic habitats of South Australia.

Marine benthic habitat data for Tasmanian coastal waters from the LWM (Low water mark) to 40 metres in depth or 1.5 kms from shore. See 'Lineage' section of this record for full methodology and data dictionary. This data is also available via the Seamap Australia National Benthic Habitat Layer - a nationally consolidated benthic habitat map. https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/4739e4b0-4dba-4ec5-b658-02c09f27ab9a

The abundance and distribution of benthic organisms and communities at both broad and fine scales were surveyed at Montgomery Reef in March and July 2009. Due to the logistical constraints placed on sampling techniques by the macrotidal changes around Montgomery Reef, three sampling techniques were employed to obtain imagery of the benthic environment between the depths of 0 and 53 metres.Reef Walks:With much of the reef edge exposed at low tide, the shallowest sections of the reef (0 to ~6 metres) could be sampled whilst walking across the exposed reef. Digital cameras (Ricoh GX100) were held at 1~1.2 metres above the reef with 1 photograph taken approximately every 2 metres. Teams of researchers walked in parallel, with 3-4 camera deployed simultaneously at a site. Each camera was synchronised with a GPS providing accurate positional information (2 - 5 metres) from which each image could later be georeferenced. Reef walks were conducted to the northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. Tripod Camera:A simple tripod camera system developed by A. Heyward was trialled to sample the turbid shallow waters between 2 and 16 metres. Each system consisted of a camera tripod with a downward facing digital camera (Ricoh GX100) attached 600mm above the ground and set to photograph every 5 seconds. Each camera was synchronised with a GPS providing accurate positional information from which individual images could later be georeferenced. The tripod systems were attached to 20 metres of rope and lowered off the side of a tender to the bottom and held for a minimum of 5 seconds to allow the camera to complete at least one image while the tripod was located firmly on the substrate. It was noted that using underwater strobes generally reduced image quality. As a result the strobes were turned off and only natural light was relied on for photography. During retrieval the tender was allowed to drift with prevailing wind and tide, with images of the benthos effectively taken every 2 to 5 metres. The start of each transect position allowed the length of each drift to be monitored, so that transects of a nominal length, often around 200m, could be completed before moving the tender to a new location. The advantage of the technique is that even in very turbid water, high resolution digital stills are obtained with the stability afforded by the tripod allowing for cameras to be set with a longer exposure letting in maximum light.Towed Video:The AIMS towed video system was used to survey the deeper water (between 10 and 53 metres) to the north and south of the reef. The system was flown at approximately 1 metre above the sea floor with real time analysis of the video footage (AIMS Towvid) used to examine the broad scale distribution of dominant benthic biota. In addition to video footage, a downward facing digital still camera was attached to the bottom of the towed body. The camera was set to photograph the benthos approximately every 5 metres. The high resolution images allowed for a more detailed assessment of the benthic community. The objectives of the research were three-fold:1. to provide a broad- and fine-scale characterisation the benthic communities and substratum at Montgomery Reef2. to identify similarities and differences in the benthic communities examined and3. to undertake a detailed spatial analysis to examine and map the distribution of these benthic organisms and communities.This research was the first detailed quantitative survey of the benthic communities of Montgomery Reef. Univariate, multivariate and spatial statistics are employed to examine both the similarities and differences in the distribution and relative abundance of these benthic communities. This study is part of a broader regional survey of the Kimberley fringing reefs initiated by AIMS in 2009.

This dataset summarises benthic surveys in Yanyuwa Sea Country into 3 GIS shapefiles. (1) A point (site) shapefile describes seagrass presence/absence at 3248 sites surveyed by small vessel and helicopter. (2) The meadow shapefile describes attributes of 180 intertidal seagrass meadows. (3) The interpolation GeoTiff describes variation in seagrass biomass across the seagrass meadows. This project is a partnership between li-Anthawirriyarra rangers, Charles Darwin University, James Cook University, and Mabunji Aboriginal Resource Indigenous Corporation to map the intertidal habitats of the Yanyuwa Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), an area of profound importance to the Marra and Yanyuwa people and to the marine ecosystem of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Benthic habitat maps of Yanyuwa Country were produced, with a focus on seagrass. Report reference: Groom R, Carter A, Collier C, Firby L, Evans S, Barrett S, Hoffmann L, van de Wetering C, Shepherd L, Evans S, Anderson S. (2023) Mapping Critical Habitat in Yanyuwa Sea Country. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Charles Darwin University, pp. 40. Available at: https://www.nespmarinecoastal.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NESP-MaC-Hub-Project-1.12_Groom-et-al-FINAL-REPORT.pdf Methods: The sampling methods used to study, describe and monitor seagrass meadows were developed by the TropWATER Seagrass Group and tailored to the location and habitat surveyed; these are described in detail in the relevant publications (https://research.jcu.edu.au/tropwater). Geographic Information System (GIS) All survey data were entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS) developed for Torres Strait using ArcGIS 10.8. Rectified colour satellite imagery of Yanyuwa Sea Country (Source: Allen Coral Atlas and ESRI), field notes and aerial photographs taken from the helicopter during surveys were used to identify geographical features, such as reef tops, channels and deep-water drop-offs, to assist in determining seagrass meadow boundaries. Three GIS layers were created to describe spatial features of the region: a site layer, seagrass meadow layer, and a seagrass biomass interpolation layer. Seagrass site layer This layer contains information on data collected at assessment sites. This layer includes: 1. Temporal survey details – Survey date; 2. Spatial position - Latitude/longitude; 3. Survey location; 4. Seagrass information including presence/absence of seagrass, above-ground biomass (total and for each species), percent cover of seagrass at each site and whether individual species were present/absent at a site; 5. Benthic macro-invertebrate information including the percent cover of hard coral, soft coral, sponges and other benthic macro invertebrates (e.g. ascidian, clam) at a site; 6. Algae information including percent cover of algae at a site and percent contribution of algae functional groups to algae cover at a site; 7. Open substrate – the percent cover of the site that had no flora or habitat forming benthic invertebrates present; 8. Dominant sediment type - Sediment type based on grain size visual assessment or deck descriptions. 9. Survey method and vessel 10. Relevant comments and presence/absence of megafauna and animals of interest (dugong, turtle, dolphin, evidence of dugong feeding trails); 11. Data custodians. Seagrass meadow layer Seagrass presence/absence site data, mapping sites, field notes, and satellite imagery were used to construct meadow boundaries in ArcGIS®. The meadow (polygon) layer provides summary information for all sites within each seagrass meadow, including: 1. Temporal survey details – Survey month and year as individual columns and the survey date (the date range the survey took place); 2. Spatial survey details – Survey location, meadow identification number that identifies the reef name and the meadow number. This allows individual meadows to be compared among years; 3. Survey method; 4. Meadow depth for subtidal meadows. Intertidal: meadow

This dataset corresponds to high resolution (10 m) raster shallow benthic and geomorphic habitat maps for Northern and Western Australia estimated from Sentinel 2 composite imagery from 2018 – 2023. Benthic classes include sand, rubble, rock, seagrass, coral/algae, microalgal mats and light seagrass. Geomorphic classes include deep, sediment slope, shallow lagoon, deep lagoon, inner reef flat, outer reef flat, reef crest, terrestrial reef flat, sheltered reef slope, plateau, back reef slope, small reef and rocky reef. This dataset covers the area from Houtman Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia through to the northwestern side of Cape York, including both offshore and inshore reef systems. Classifications are limited to shallow regions, just below lowest astronomical tide in turbid areas, and to 10 - 15 m in clear water areas. These maps were developed by extending the methods used in the Allen Coral Atlas (https://allencoralatlas.org/methods/) and the development of habitat maps for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR10 GBRMP Geomorphic, https://arcg.is/1jfWaa1, GBR10 GBRMP Benthic, https://arcg.is/1GOD4T1). The maps were produced using a semi-automated classification workflow implemented in Google Earth Engine, combining improved low-tide Sentinel-2 satellite imagery composites created by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) (https://doi.org/10.26274/2bfv-e921), with Random Forest machine learning classifiers. The classification approach was regionally tailored across five subregions (Shark Bay, West, Northwest, Gulf, and Offshore) to account for differences in water column optical properties and habitat types. Classifications are aligned with updated reef and shallow sediment outlines produced by AIMS as part of this project, and follow conventions from the Allen Coral Atlas and Great Barrier Reef mapping projects, incorporating additional classes to better represent seagrass environments characteristic of this region. The workflow integrated expert visual interpretation of reference imagery, Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) for training data development, and iterative refinement through object-based cleanup rules and regional expert review. These maps are intended to support regional-scale habitat assessment, marine spatial planning, ecosystem modelling, environmental impact assessment, and prioritisation of monitoring efforts. The dataset provides a consistent and scalable baseline for future reef monitoring and contributes directly to the national reef mapping framework. This dataset is delivered in three parts: 1. Geomorphic Map (geomorphic/NW_NESP-MaC-3-17_UQ_Shallow-habitat_Geomorphic_2025.tif) High-resolution spatial classification of coral reef, rocky reef, and shallow sediment geomorphic zones across five subregions. The map features 14 classes: Deep Water, Sediment Slope, Shallow Lagoon, Deep Lagoon, Inner Reef Flat, Outer Reef Flat, Reef Crest, Terrestrial Reef Flat, Sheltered Reef Slope, Reef Slope, Plateau, Back Reef Slope, Small Reef, and Rocky Reef. Classifications were produced at 10 m spatial resolution and refined through three stages of cleanup, including object-based rules and expert-guided manual corrections. Geomorphic maps underwent accuracy assessment using validation points generated from expert-interpreted reference segments.,

This dataset consists of polygons delineating the broad-scale regional marine habitats of selected areas in Western Australia, mostly in existing and proposed marine conservation reserve areas. Habitat mapping was carried out by various organisations, including DPAW, using a range of methodologies over many years. Diverse classifications and habitat descriptions were standardised to the DPaW broad-scale Shallow-water Marine Habitat Classification scheme (SMHC) (Bancroft, 2003) after initial habitat mapping and classification work had been done. Habitat polygons are classified to the broad-scale ecological Community level and where more detailed data exist, local-scale Functional Group level (Bancroft, 2003). Polygons were attributed with habitat class names only, textual descriptions of these classes are provided in this metadata statement and further in Bancroft (2003).

This dataset contains video mapping data collected on Southern Surveyor voyage SS 07/2005. The voyage took place off the Western Australian Coast during July August 2005. Map data were collected successfully at all locations; map data were processed and products made on board; these were used to target photographic and sediment sampling. Initial map products are of extremely high quality and enable visualization of habitat features at a range of relevant spatial scales. There was a total of 223 sampling stations at 21 sites: 2 box cores, 16 stereo video and stills camera stations; 49 CTD casts; 107 smith macintyre grabs and 2 sherman sleds. Sediment and photographic data were taken successfully at virtually all planned stations at depths of 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 700 m and 1000 m (a few were lost to weather), and at several additional stations. Sub-samples from sediments were taken for geological analysis, faunal analysis, and stable isotope analysis. The quality of the video and still digital photographic data was very high; a wide variety of previously unseen seabed types and benthic animals were recorded. This record relates to the video data collected on this voyage that was scored for dominant substrate, geomorphology, habitat structure and dominant fauna and databased. These data have been added to the Oracle data base BHIMAGE and the associated videos and still images have been archived as described in MarLIN record 14436 'Benthic Habitats Video Image Archive'.

An overview of benthic habitat surveys in Western Australia, combining surveys from multiple State Government agencies, research institutions and Universities. Disclaimer: The map is in development and does not show real or comprehensive survey data until this message disappears. Contributing data Attendees of the Managing Coastal Vulnerability workshop can: Register your account and contact us. We will give you write permission by making you admin or editor of your organisation, and member of the Habitat Sampling Initiative Group. Add metadata for your data by creating a dataset, attach a GeoJSON (QGIS video tutorial, save as CRS EPSG 4326/WGS84) or KML file of your surveyed transects (including survey date or period in site attributes if possible) as resources, and add the dataset to the group Habitat Sampling Initiative. Add the link to your access-restricted data on Pawsey as another resource to the dataset. Add any other public data resource here if and when appropriate. Use the CKAN API to upload metadata from your existing catalogues following these examples. Discovering data The following resources give an interactive overview of all Habitat Sampling Initiative datasets:

Aim To provide a better understanding of the regional biodiversity found throughout the Kimberley, identify and characterise in finer detail the major habitat types in selected coastal areas such as Camden Sound Marine Park and Bonaparte Archipelago. Four major ship-based surveys of subtidal seabed were completed in the Southern (Camden Sound), Central (Bonaparte Archipelago) and Northern (Eclipse Archipelago) Kimberly regions, to provide a representative benthic biodiversity assessment along the Kimberley ria coast. Survey methods included multibeam to characterise the seabed, Smith McIntyre grab samples to determine the nature of sediments, towed video observations of the abundance (as %cover) and diversity of benthic biota, and benthic sleds to collect biological specimens for taxonomic identification. Outcomes A habitat map identifying the mixed benthic assemblages throughout the Kimberley and a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of marine biodiversity in the Kimberley (including number of species and identification of species new to science and/or new to the region). Where possible field data was collated and combined into ESRI GIS shapefiles or georeferenced raster layers.

This record describes a single aggregated dataset of the geomorphic habitat environment (facies) for Australia's 7 states and territories: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia. The classification system contains 12 easily identifiable and representative environments: Barrier/back-barrier, Bedrock, Central Basin, Channel, Coral, Flood- and Ebb-tide Delta, Fluvial (bay-head) Delta, Intertidal Flats, Mangrove, Rocky Reef, Saltmarsh/Saltflat, Tidal Sand Banks (and Unassigned). These types represent habitats found across all coastal systems in Australia. For the New South Wales region, 134 coastal waterways are described. Most of the estuaries of New South Wales are under intense land use pressure with approximately 80% of the State's population living near an estuary (NSW Dept of Land and Water Conservation) For the Victorian region, 54 coastal waterways are described. Most of the 54 coastal waterways have a "Modified" environmental condition (as opposed to "Near Pristine"), according to the National Land and Water Resources Audit definition. For the Tasmanian region, 88 coastal waterways are described. The majority of near pristine estuaries in Tasmania are located in the south and west of the State and on Cape Barren Island, according to the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment. For the Queensland region, 213 coastal waterways are described. Southern and central Great Barrier Reef lagoon coasts have a broad spectrum of river, tide and wave- dominated estuaries. For the Northern Territory region, 63 coastal waterways are described. Estuaries on the northern Arnhem Land, Gulf of Carpentaria coasts are predominantly tide-dominated estuaries, which vary greatly in size and floodplain characteristics. For the South Australia region, 36 coastal waterways are described. Most of the 36 coastal waterways have a "Modified" environmental condition (as opposed to "Near Pristine"), according to the National Land and Water Resources Audit definition. For the Western Australia region, 103 coastal waterways are described. Western Australia has a diverse range of Estuaries due to different climates. Ranging from mostly "near pristine" and tide influenced estuaries in the north to "near pristine" wave dominated estuaries in the southwest region.